Beneath the Anger
by Silent Spirit 17
Summary: After another fight with each other, some very hurtful words from Blossom cause Buttercup to run away from home. While she's gone, she experiences something no person ever should have to, leaving Blossom wracked with guilt. Will Blossom ever have a chance to apologize?
1. Prologue

_Author's Note: When I get the rest of the story done, I may move this. For now, this is the prologue._

* * *

It was late. Very late. Blossom stood silently in the dimly lit room. Bubbles and the professor had already gone to bed. Originally, Blossom had too, but she had a bout of insomnia that night. She couldn't sleep. She felt guilty.

Slowly, Blossom began to walk forward. She was almost afraid to get close. She didn't want to look. She couldn't. But she felt like it was her fault this happened. In reality, it wasn't and she knew it, but she didn't feel it. If she hadn't started yelling, if that stupid fight hadn't happened, if she hadn't said what she did...

But it was too late for remorse. No amount of regretful emotions could fix this. Only time could.

Blossom closed her eyes just as she reached the cot. _"I can't look,"_ she thought. _"I can't! I never wanted this to happen! If I could turn back time..."_

Blossom tossed the thoughts out of her head almost as soon as they entered. She slowly opened one eye and peeked at the sleeping figure on the cot. She opened her other eye and tried not to reveal the tears that had begun threatening to break through at the sight of the figure. She looked back and forth at the figure and the machines connected, allowing that sleeping figure to remain sleeping.

_"How did this happen?"_ Blossom screamed in her head. _"It was just one fight! Why did I say that? It's all my fault! If I hadn't said all those things! I didn't mean them! What was I thinking? I...I..."_

Carefully, Blossom crawled onto the cot, where she could look the sleeping figure directly in the eyes. The second she did, all of the tears she'd been trying to contain were revealed, but she fought not to let them fall. She cuddled the green blanket that was meant to keep the figure warm. She then leaned over and very gently kissed the sleeping figure on the forehead.

"Buttercup," she whispered, struggling against the break in her voice, "if you wake up, I promise I will never fight with you again. I never meant for this happen. Just wake up so this can all be over and I will tell you everyday that I love you. I'll let you be leader. I'll never yell at you again. Please. Don't leave us." Her tears started to slide down her cheeks and her pink eyes grew large.

"Just...wake...up."

"Blossom?" a voice called from the doorway of the lab. It was Bubbles. "Blossom, are you okay?"

Blossom quickly dried her eyes, not wanting Bubbles to realize she'd been crying. She jumped off the cot and went over to Bubbles, but didn't take her eyes off Buttercup.

"Bubbles," she said softly, "why did this have to happen? I...I didn't mean it. I wish I could take it all back."

"It'll be okay," Bubbles tried to assure her sister. Usually, Bubbles was the hysterical one and Blossom was the one who gave comfort, but recent events had reversed the girls' roles. "Come on. Let's just go back to bed."

Bubbles began to lead Blossom back upstairs when Blossom suddenly cried for her to stop. She raced back in the lab and to Buttercup's cot. She took off her iconic red bow and tucked it underneath the blanket, near Buttercup's head. She then returned to Bubbles, who'd waited patiently on the stairs, and the two returned to bed.

"Bubbles?"

"Yes, Blossom?"

"Do you think I'm a bad person?"

"No, Blossom. Buttercup will be okay."

"How can you be so sure?"

"You know Buttercup. She's the toughest fighter. She'll pull through." Bubbles paused for a moment before speaking again. "And I'm sure she'll forgive you. She'd feel bad if she knew you did."

With that, Bubbles closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep. Blossom decided Bubbles was right. There was no use dwelling on it anyway. She just had to believe Buttercup was as strong as she'd always been.

Finally, Blossom fell asleep.


	2. A Verbal Punch

_10 days earlier..._

Bubbles was sitting sadly in her room, cuddling her beloved stuffed octopus, Octi, as she solemnly listened to her sisters fighting for the fifth time that week. She was almost beginning to think they were arguing for the sake of arguing. In Bubbles's mind, Buttercup and Blossom were a lot alike for two people who argue so much, but maybe that was why they did so. Headstrong, stubborn, rash, sometimes even abrasive. The last two applied more to Buttercup, but Blossom occasionally fell to impulse and meanness too. Regardless of why they fought so much, Bubbles wished they'd stop.

_In the living room..._

"You fail to follow orders!" Blossom was screaming at Buttercup. "You don't listen! You think you can do whatever you want! You need to stop being insubordinate and learn your place!"

"Who do you think you are?!" Buttercup yelled back. "Who made you the leader anyway?! We're all the same age! Who put you in charge?! Your stupid bow must be too tight on your stupid head! I don't have to listen to you!"

Blossom folded her arms, acting as if she'd already triumphed in this argument. "I'm the smartest," she retorted smugly. "I'm the brains of the group, so I'm leader." She then got close to Buttercup's face. "You're just brash and never think anything through. You can't even do math correctly in school! Brains always beats brawn!"

"Maybe on Saturn," Buttercup responded. "And so what? _You_ say you're in charge! Bubbles and I didn't agree to that! Your ego is bigger than your head and your bow! Maybe you should think about other people once in a while!"

"You're one to talk," Blossom snapped. "You're always mean! You pick on Bubbles all the time!"

"And you boss Bubbles around like you're her mom or something," Buttercup fired back. "Remember the time you told her to put down Octi when she brought it with her to fight a monster? Even I thought that was stupid."

"Alright! That's enough from both of you!" a voice said from the doorway. It was the professor, who'd finally finished his lab work. "Girls, this is ridiculous. You've been fighting all week."

"It's her fault!" Blossom and Buttercup exclaimed at the same time.

"I don't care whose fault it is! Blossom, go stand in a corner in the kitchen. Buttercup, you go next to the lamp."

"What?!" both girls exclaimed. "But that's not fair! I didn't do anything!"

"Go!" the professor ordered them. "And not another word to each other."

After two exchanged angry looks, Blossom and Buttercup did as they were told and stood in the corners, facing the wall. Professor then went up to their room to check on Bubbles. She was sound asleep at the end of the bed, but Professor woke her up just to be sure she was okay.

"Bubbles? Honey?"

"Hmm?" Bubbles muttered as she opened her sleepy eyes. "Yes, Professor?"

"Are you feeling okay?"

Bubbles yawned. "Yeah, I'm fine. Are Blossom and Buttercup still fighting?"

"No," Professor answered. "I made them stop. Why don't you change into your pajamas before you go back to sleep?"

"Okay."

_In the kitchen..._

Blossom had never felt so angry. _"I don't deserve to be punished because of Buttercup!"_ she mentally complained. _"If she would just listen and follow orders...That's why I'm the leader, not her! But she thinks she knows so much! Ooh, I can't stand her!"_

_In the living room..._

Buttercup was having similar thoughts. _"I don't care if she is the leader,"_ Buttercup thought. _"That doesn't mean she gets to boss everyone around! She's such a brat! She thinks she knows everything! I can't stand her!"_

_10 minutes later..._

Professor allowed Buttercup and Blossom to leave their corners, but they refused to apologize to each other, so he told them to get in their pajamas and go straight to bed. The girls obeyed, not daring to say a word to or even at look at each other, but silently fuming.

A short time later, they were washed up and ready for bed. Bubbles was still fast asleep, snuggling Octi tightly in her arms. She did not hear her sisters enter the bedroom. Buttercup crawled over to her side and pulled the cover up.

"Don't you dare wake her up!" Blossom ordered in a whisper.

"I wasn't waking her up!" Buttercup whispered as a retort. "I was only putting the cover over her! You think you're so perfect!"

"Hmph! I'm not arguing with you!" Blossom told her.

"Me neither!" Buttercup said. "I'm sleeping on the beanbag!"

"Fine!"

Blossom got in bed and slid under the pink part of the girls' bed cover. Buttercup plopped down on her green beanbag. Both girls were asleep in a matter of seconds, but their anger remained.

_The next morning..._

A rainstorm was pouring down in Townsville, forcing the girls to be stuck inside. For the time being, things were peaceful. Blossom was studying her Chinese books while Bubbles and Buttercup were playing a video game together.

As much as she hated to bring it up, Bubbles had to ask. "So, Buttercup," she began nervously, "are you feeling better today?"

For a moment, Buttercup was confused, but it quickly dawned her on what Bubbles was referring to. "Yeah. Don't worry about it. Get the mushroom!"

"Got it! We're almost at the castle! Are you ready?"

"Yeah!" Buttercup answered excitedly. "That boss is toast! Let's get him!"

It wasn't until lunchtime that tension flared again. The girls were sharing a submarine sandwich, divided in three equal shares. At one point, Bubbles asked Buttercup to curl her tongue.

"Why?" Buttercup asked.

"Because I want to try," Bubbles answered. "I want to be able to do it." Bubbles stuck out her tongue and tried to curl it, but could only blow a raspberry, to Buttercup's amusement.

"Alright. Fine," Buttercup agreed with a small laugh. She stuck out her tongue and slowly curled it. Bubbles tried a few times to mimic it, but only raspberries resulted. "Sorry, Bubbles," Buttercup laughed. "But tongue-curling is my special power. No one can curl their tongue like me."

Bubbles giggled, but Blossom scoffed, a sound that didn't go unheard by Buttercup. "You got a problem, red bow?"

"Uh-oh," Bubbles muttered softly. _"If they start arguing over this..."_

"Tongue-curling? Puh-lease," Blossom said smugly. "That's not even a power."

"So what?" Buttercup angrily replied. "It's still something I can do that you can't. You think you're so much better than everyone else."

"At least, I don't have to pretend I have a special power," Blossom retorted.

Usually, Buttercup was the one who teased, not Blossom. Bubbles figured she was still mad about last night and quickly learned she was right.

"Blossom, what is your problem? I wasn't even talking to you!"

"It's not that! I mean last night!"

"Aww, what's wrong?" Buttercup mocked. "Is Little Miss Perfect mad because she got in trouble for once? Not so perfect now, huh?"

"You started the nonsense!" Blossom replied, having gone from angry to furious.

"I told you before!" Buttercup said, also feeling fury. "I'm tired of your "leadership". You don't tell me what to do, you bossy spoiled princess!"

"You're such a brat!" Blossom responded.

"You're a bossy boots!" Buttercup countered. "What makes you think you're better than me or Bubbles?"

"I bet Bubbles agrees with me," Blossom said. "Bubbles, don't you think I'm the best to be leader?"

Before Bubbles could answer, Buttercup interjected. "Hey! Don't put Bubbles in this! This is between us!"

Bubbles wouldn't have answered anyway. The only thing she hated more than her sisters fighting was being placed in the middle of their arguments. As they continued to argue, she ducked below the table with her sandwich.

Admittedly, however, Bubbles was a bit angry. She did think Blossom was a good leader overall, but even she agreed that Blossom was kind of bossy. But she hated arguing and anger, so she kept her feelings and thoughts to herself. Octi was her only outlet.

Hearing the fighting, the professor rushed into the kitchen and sighed frustratedly. "Blossom, Buttercup, why are you fighting now?"

"Blossom started it this time, Professor!" Buttercup quickly pointed out.

The girls' arguing drowned out the professor's attempts at reasoning with them. The yelling went on for several minutes, but to Bubbles, who no one seemed to remember was still present, those minutes felt like hours. She felt like she was going to lose it.

Professor was now in between the girls and trying to separate them from each other, but it was to no avail. However, he didn't have to because the argument was about to take a turn for the worst.

"You know what?!" Buttercup yelled at Blossom. "I hate you! I wish you weren't my sister!"

"Oh, yeah?!" Blossom yelled back. "I hate you too! I wish you lived somewhere else!"

"I hope you lose all of your hair and that stupid bow and you end up a failure in everything and live in a cardboard box!"

"I wish you'd never been created with me and Bubbles and I hope something bad happens to you and you die!"

Abruptly, the yelling stopped. Things suddenly became so quiet, it was possible to hear a pin drop. Bubbles slowly came out and up from under the table. She hadn't heard what was said because she covered her ears, but the look on Blossom's, Buttercup's, and the professor's faces told her someone had crossed a line.

No sooner did she say it did Blossom wish she could take her words back. Professor was in disbelief while Buttercup had been stunned into silence. Her eyes had grown big.

"B-Buttercup," Blossom said, speaking in a normal tone now, "I...I didn't mean that."

Buttercup slowly began backing away from Blossom, her stunned expression remaining unchanged. Blossom came toward her, trying to apologize.

"Buttercup, please," Blossom pleaded softly. "I...I'm sorry. I don't know why I said that. Buttercup..."

Her words fell on deaf ears. Buttercup flew out of the house, faster than she'd ever flown before.

"Buttercup!" Blossom cried and called after her, but she was already a far distance away. Only the roaring of thunder and downpour of rain answered Blossom.

"Blossom," Bubbles said. "What did you say?"

"I told her I wished she's never been created with us," Blossom confessed. "And that I hope something bad happens to her and she dies."

Bubbles's facial expression changed to one that almost matched Buttercup's stunned one. "Blossom, how could you say that?"

"I...I don't know, Bubbles," Blossom replied. "It just...came out."

"So...is that how you really feel?" Bubbles asked, her tone becoming sadder than it already was.

"No!" Blossom quickly denied, realizing what Bubbles was thinking. "No! I didn't...I'm going to go find her!"

In a flash, Blossom was out the door.


	3. Search and Don't Find

The downpour was worse than it had seemed. Blossom was soaked from bow to toe and couldn't see as clearly. She couldn't think clearly either. Her mind was racing. No matter how many times she tried to acknowledge she didn't mean what she said, it didn't help. She was upset she let her anger get the best of her in the first place.

Blossom looked everywhere she could think of. The arcade, the school, the toy store, even the mayor's office. Buttercup was nowhere to be found.

Meanwhile, back at home, the professor was trying to comfort Bubbles. She wasn't crying. For once, she felt like she'd cried enough. Still, it was only natural that she was worried about her sisters' well-being.

"Professor, do you think I should be out there too?"

"No, Bubbles," he answered. "I'm worried about your sisters too, but it's not safe. I would drive around and help look for Buttercup, but with the weather being what it is, I'd probably get into an accident."

"You're right," she agreed. "Do you think maybe now, they'll stop fighting?"

Professor sighed. He honestly didn't believe that, but he couldn't say so to Bubbles. He didn't want to crush the tiny bit of hope Bubbles seemed to have left. Finally, he said, "We can only hope so."

_Some time later..._

Blossom searched throughout town four times, but found no sign of Buttercup. The more time passed without any sign of Buttercup, the more worried and wracked with guilt Blossom became. It was obvious Buttercup had left Townsville, but where could she possibly have gone?

After several hours passed, Blossom gave up. There was no use in continuing to search. She hadn't the slightest idea where Buttercup could be and the storm was still going on. Maybe she could try again tomorrow.

Blossom landed and began the walk home. She would've flown, but her visibility was now cut by two things. The heavy rain and her own tears.

"Wherever you are, Buttercup," Blossom muttered under her breath, "I hope you're alright."


	4. Butter-crushed

For the time being, Buttercup had taken shelter from the storm in a small stone cave she'd come across. She had no idea where she was. All she knew was that she'd flown farther than she intended. She was miles away from Townsville. At the minute, however, she really didn't care. All she could think about was what Blossom said to her.

_"I wish you'd never been created with me and Bubbles and I hope something bad happens to you and you die!"_

Buttercup never cried if she could help it, but this time, she couldn't stop. Granted, what she said was cold too, but wishing death? Buttercup wouldn't wish that on anyone, not even her most hated enemy. And while she may not be one to say it out loud, Buttercup did love Blossom as her sister with all her heart.

Buttercup hated to let it show, but underneath, she wasn't all toughness. She had some soft spots and Blossom had hit one. To know that's how Blossom really felt...She wanted to believe Blossom was just angry and didn't mean it. She didn't mean what she'd said. Well...maybe she sometimes did wish Blossom wasn't her sister, but that was only when they were fighting. It didn't feel good to be sisters then.

No matter how much she tried to think otherwise, Buttercup couldn't shake the feeling that Blossom meant what she said, that it was something that'd finally come out. And maybe she was right. Maybe Blosssom...maybe everybody...would be better off without her.

"Buttercup. Buttercup!"

Buttercup stood up and looked around to see who was calling her, but no one was there. Was she hearing things? Then, she realized she wasn't in the stone cave anymore. Everything was dark. It was pitch black.

Buttercup heard laughter and ran in the direction she thought it was coming from. She ran and she ran, but she didn't seem to be going anywhere. As abruptly as it had started, the laughter stopped and now, voices were heard.

"You're nothing but a burden!"

"You weren't meant to exist!"

"You were the real accident!"

Buttercup recognized the voices as her family's, but she couldn't see where they were. She covered her ears to try to ignore them, but she couldn't. Their taunts almost felt like torture.

"Why are you even here? There's nothing special about you!"

"You know, things would be better if you just go."

"And never come back because nobody wants you anyway!"

Buttercup looked up and finally saw her family. They were huge and pointing down at her as they continued taunting her. Buttercup couldn't ignore them because deep down, she believed it too. She couldn't even beg them to stop. All she could do was cry.

When Buttercup was able to regain her composure, she found herself in the stone cave again. She realized she had cried herself to sleep and had a nightmare. She felt relieved, but she also felt like like her dream was trying to tell her something. That she was right.

The storm had stopped, although the sky remained cloudy. Buttercup decided to continue walking. She didn't feel like flying. Maybe she could accidentally walk off a cliff...

_Several hours later..._

Buttercup was tired and her legs ached. She also felt weak from hunger. Nighttime had fallen and she had no idea where she was going. Buttercup looked around and decided to rest in a hole at the bottom of a tree trunk. She made herself as comfortable as she could managed and quickly drifted off to sleep.

However, she wasn't alone...


	5. Tomorrow's Another Day

_Meanwhile, as Blossom was returning home and Buttercup was fast asleep..._

Bubbles lied quietly on her side of hers and her sisters' shared bed, snuggling Octi tight under her arm. It wasn't late yet, but Bubbles didn't feel like playing. She and Professor hadn't even eaten dinner because they were too worried about Buttercup and Blossom.

Bubbles was tired from worrying so much about her sisters, but she couldn't sleep. She didn't want to sleep until Blossom came through the door with Buttercup. She wondered where her sisters could possibly be. Were they safe? In danger? She wanted to go look, but the professor didn't need all three of his girls missing. There was no need for Bubbles to get herself lost too.

In a way, Bubbles felt left out. Not that she wanted to be involved with her sisters' arguing, but whenever they argued, they seemed to forget that she existed and was affected too. Bubbles's eyes kept trying to close, but she wouldn't let them. She couldn't. She wanted to stay awake, but she didn't feel she had any energy to get back out of bed.

_An hour later..._

Finally, Blossom reached home. The storm had subsided, leaving the night a cool and damp one. She searched for the professor to let him know she'd returned.

"Professor," she called out sadly. "Professor." She went down to his lab, where she found him working. "Professor, I'm back."

"Blossom!" As soon as he heard her voice, he scooped Blossom up and hugged her. "I'm glad you're safe, honey."

"But I didn't find Buttercup," she solemnly admitted. "She's not in Townsville. I have no idea where she could be. Do you think she'll ever come back?"

"I hope so, Blossom," Professor told her. "I hope she's alright."

"Professor, you know I didn't mean what I said, don't you?"

"Of course, I do, Blossom," he answered, "but that's the thing about words. Whether you mean them or not, once they're said, they can't be taken back. You can only try to make up for them."

Blossom agreed. She kissed her father good night and went to get ready for bed.

As Blossom bathed herself, she thought about what the professor had said. What if she never found Buttercup and never got the chance to make up for her words? What if Buttercup was in trouble? If she found Buttercup - or if Buttercup returned home - and something had happened, Blossom would hate herself forever.

Blossom tried to put those thoughts out of her head. Buttercup was tough. She could take care of herself, right? But for how long? What if Blossom had broken her spirit? She remembered the look on Buttercup's face. How stunned her expression had become. Blossom had never seen either of her sisters look that way. That's how she knew she had hurt Buttercup.

Blossom laid her head on her edge of the tub. She had to calm her mind. Being restless wasn't going to help her find Buttercup nor would feeling sorry for either of them. She would look again for Buttercup tomorrow. No matter what, she'd find her.

After making up her mind, Blossom slowly and unknowingly drifted off to sleep.

_Sometime later..._

"Blossom? Blossom? Blossom."

Groggily, Blossom opened her eyes to the feeling of something furry rubbing against her. She saw the color purple in front of her.

"Blossom?" the voice said again. After a few seconds, Blossom recognized the voice. It belonged to Bubbles. She was rubbing Octi against Blossom's face, trying to wake her up.

Blossom nudged the stuffed toy away from her face and lifted her head. Seeing that she was finally awake, Bubbles lifted Blossom out of the tub and wrapped her in a towel.

"Wh-wha...?" Blossom muttered. "Bubbles? What happened?"

"I woke up to get a glass of milk. You weren't in bed, so I woke up the professor," Bubbles explaned. "He said you did come home and you were getting ready for bed. I took a guess and thought you might've still been in here."

"Oh. Oh!" Now, Blossom understood. "I guess I fell asleep without realizing it." She then frowned. "Bubbles, I didn't find Buttercup."

"I know," Bubbles said. "She would've been with you. She's out there. Let's get your pajamas and go to bed."

"Bubbles," Blossom said as they went upstairs, "how are you so calm?"

"Sometimes, you just get to a point where you feel you've done enough crying," Bubbles answered. "I'm tired. When morning comes, we can look for her, but not if we don't sleep."

For the first time since she'd awoken that morning, Blossom smiled, although only for a few seconds. It wasn't long before she was in her in her nightgown and sleeping soundly next to Bubbles.


End file.
